complete verse (Exodus 25:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 25:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Tell the Israelites to give me things as gifts. Welcome/receive everything which anyone will give.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “To bring me offering tell the Israelites, Peoples whose like heart to give for me you are receive the offering.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Tell the Israelinhon that they are-to-offer to me. You are-the-one to-receive their offerings that they want to-offer to me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘Tell the Israel people to bring some of their good things to me. Each person who wants to bring some of their things to me, [it’s] good for them to deliver it to you (pl.).” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “«you (sing., imp.) go ask children of Israel gift(s). They who desire it with heart their let them give me thing, you (sing., imp.) bring it [this direction].” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Tell them that they must give offerings/gifts to me. Receive from the people every offering/gift that they want to give to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Exod 25:1 - 25:2

The LORD said to Moses is literally “And Yahweh spoke to Moses saying.” This introduces the words of Yahweh that continue uninterrupted all the way to chapter 30 verse 10. The word meaning “to say” (ʾamar) is the usual term to introduce the exact words that someone says, whereas the word meaning “to speak” (dibber) comes from the Hebrew davar (“word” or “event”) and does not always introduce a direct quotation. This longer formula is used again in 30.11, 17, 22; 31.1. It may be helpful to connect this section of discourse to the previous one with something like “While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the LORD said to him, ….” Speak to the people of Israel does not introduce the exact words for Moses to speak, so it is better to say “Tell the Israelites” (Good News Translation) as an introduction to indirect speech. That they take for me an offering is literally “and they will take for me a contribution.” But the people are the ones to give, so it is better to say “Tell the Israelites to make an offering to me” (Good News Translation) or “set aside a contribution for me” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts.” However, in languages that must use direct speech, one may say, for example, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Any of you who are willing to give an offering….’ ” The word for offering has the basic meaning of something that is lifted up, or dedicated, but in many languages it will be expressed as “gifts for me.”

From every man does not intend to exclude women, so New Revised Standard Version has changed this to “from all.” See also New Jerusalem Bible “from everyone,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “from every person.” Whose heart makes him willing is literally “who his heart urges him.” This may be expressed as “whose heart so moves him” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “whose heart prompts him to give.” Good News Translation has “whatever offerings anyone wishes to give.” You shall receive the offering for me is literally “you [singular] shall take my offering.” Contemporary English Version restructures the clauses in verse 2 as follows: “Tell everyone in Israel who wants to give gifts that they must bring them to you.” One may also express this as “Tell all the Israelites, ‘Any of you who want to give gifts to Yahweh must bring them to me.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .